Such a touch of nostalgia Fay! Thank you for the "visit" to Old Blighty. There's nothing like English pubs and their names, especially the peculiar ones. And the scenery in those pictures made me feel positively homesick - at least until I saw the pub called Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem. I could provide that for a few shekels! :))

AFW, LOL! at your husband and his juvenile sense of humour. (not that we're any better...)

Ha! You got me, Fay, I looked at it quite a while but didn't guess British pubs.

This gives me the perfect excuse to post a bit from a wonderful book that Stormi recommended back in 2005 - The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson. There are actually 2 good reasons to post it :-)

...Equally arresting are British pub names. Other people are content to dub their drinking establishment with pedestrian names like Harry's Bar and the Greenwood Lounge. But a Briton, when he wants to sup ale, must find his way to the Dog and Duck, the Goose and Firkin, the Flying Spoon, or the Spotted Dog. The names of Britain's 70,000 or so pubs cover a broad range, running from the inspired to the improbable, from the deft to the daft. Almost any name will do as long as it is at least fairly absurd, unconnected with the name of the owner, and entirely lacking in any suggestion of drinking, conversing, and enjoying oneself. At a minimum the name should puzzle foreigners - this is a basic requirement of most British institutions - and ideally it should excite long and inconclusive debate, defy all logical explanation, and evoke images that border on the surreal. Among the pubs that meet and indeed exceed these exacting standards are the Frog and Nightgown, the Bull and Spectacles, the Flying Monk, and the Crab and Gumboil...

I loved the bit about pubs because of the names and also Greenwood Lounge. I didn't know about his politics, thank heavens he didn't feel he had to include them in his book. I've written off so many "celebrities" because of their outspoken politics but I love music, movies and books - as we all do. Therefore I just try to ignore their idiocy :-) so I can continue to enjoy their talents.

Candlewicking is traditionally a form of whitework embroidery. Whitework became popular after the invention of the cotton gin in 1792. The embroidery involves the tufting or knotting of the candlewick yarn, also known as roving, on top of a muslin fabric to create patterns. The raised embroidery included traditional styles, such as the French knot stitch, running stitch, stem stitch, back stitch and satin stitch. Two important knots used in candlewicking include the colonial knot and the stem stitch. An old story tells of embroiderers wrapping the yard around a small stick and then taking the stick out and leaving a loose loop or cutting it for a fringed effect.

Bedspreads

Bedspreads were only one item adorned with the embroidery. Other items included pillows and tablecloths but the bedspread has become a traditional representation of candlewicking. Aside from the raised embroidery on the body of the spread, candlewick bedspreads are also known because of their fringe. Made of the same yarn used for the embroidery, the fringe of a candlewick bedspread is traditionally long and dramatic. According to an article by Oldandsold.com, no machine work can simulate the traditional candlewick fringe. A candlewick bedspread is usually a cream color to symbolize the muslin of the colonial period.

I must admit- I had to look up "candlewick bedspread" to see what is was that you all were talking about. I'm guessing that these things must have come back into style as of late, since I've only seen these in the homes of more...mature... women. Otherwise, how would the young ladies of the table know about such items?

Actually, once I saw a photo of a candlewick bedspread I knew exactly what they were. They will forever remind me of my grandfather's old summer house (a tiny little three-season "camp" in upper NY state that our parents would ship us off to every July). They are also what I'd expect to see in any New England bed & breakfast.